Game apparatus



April 21, 1925..

Filed Nov. 11, 1924 L. B. HALLIDAY GAME APPARAT/US 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LB.Hal/[play 3&1,

GU01 Hf141 L. B. HALLIDAY GAME APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, 1924 April 21-,1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V k\ i 1 M YQ J 5 3M Nw Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

LOUIS :B. nALL In Y, or CINCINNATI, o'mo.

GAME ArrAnA'rUs.

,Applicatioii filed November 11, 1924. Serial No. 149,252.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. HALLIDAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in'the county of Hamilton and I State of. Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, ofwhich the following isa specification,

reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings. v This inventionrelates to certain Improvements in game apparatus and has relation moreparticularly to a device of this general character wherein surfaceprojectiles are employed, and it is an object of the invention toprovide a novel and improved apparatus of this kind wherein a certaindegree of skill is required in playing the same yet at the same timeaffording amusement to the-players. Another object of the invention isto provide a novel and improved device of this general charactercomprising a pluralityof indicators of difierent valuations, eachofwhich being 1 normally maintained in one position by a trip mechanismadapted to be In order that my invention may be better understood. Iwillnow proceed to describe t the same with reference to in}; drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a gameapparatusconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;" e V yFigure "2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through therear end porthe accompany! tion of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2 but showing theindicator in its raised or scoring position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view sure requisite clearance takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the board proper, theindicatingor scoring mechanism being omitted.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, '1 denotes a board ofrequisite diinen- 4 s1ons having its upper surfacegflat and unobstructedexcept along a longitudinal marginal portion of-whichis provided agroove 2 a'ifording a return runway for the projectile's. board 1extending thereabove and also extending beyond the opposite ends of theboard. The extremities of the side boards 2 are connected by the endwalls 4 and -5. The space between the front end wall end of the'boardlis bridged by a p ate 6 which underlies said wall4. and board 1' toprovide apocketi to'contain the projectiles 8 to beplayed. The spacebetween the end .wall 5, and the adjacent or rear end of the board 1 isalso connected b the plate 9 underlying the same to provid a pocket 10to receive the projectiles. 8 after being played.

The rear end portion of the board limits its central portion cut out, asat 11 said out out portion extending a material distance across theboard 1 and providing a pocket 10 of increased size and particularly toas or i the projectiles as will hereinafter be more particularlyreferred to.

, Resting'upon the rear portion of the board 1 as an upstanding housingH positioned above thecut out portion 11 and havin its bottom open withits rear wall 12' terminating at a desired point above the side walls 3,The lower marginal pprtion of the front Wall14 of the housing isprovided with a series of-equally spaced and upstanding recesses 15providing entrance openings for the projectiles8.

The end walls 16- of the housing H support and have interposedtherebetween a pair of vertically spaced parallel channelmembers orbeams 17 through which are slida-bly disposed the vertically directedstems 18, said stems being also slidably disposed through the top wall19 of the housing H. The stems 18 are of anumber equal to the numberofentrance openings 15 and each The side marginal portions of theare'provided with the side walls 3 and the ad'acent' face of the boardl'at point above its'lower end is forward marginal of said openings 15has a stem 18 positioned directly therebehind. Each of the rods 18 isconstantly urged'upwardly by acoil spring 20 surrounding the same andinterposed between the upper member or beam 17 and a stop 21 carried bythe rod 18. The stop 21 as herein disclosed comprises a washersurrounding the stem 18 and abutting a pin 22 disposed tranverselythrough the stem 8, said pin 22 is adapted to have contact with the topwall 19 of the housing H to limit the upward movement of the rod 18under the influence of the spring 20.

Each of therods 18 at a predetermined provided in its portion with anotch 23 24 with which is adapted to e engaged a swinging latch 25whereby the rod 18 is held in its lowered position and against thetension of the spring 20. The latch 25 as herein disclosed is pivotallymounted upon a rod 26 supported by and bridging-the space between theend walls 16 whereby the latch has its requisite swinging movement in avertical direction. The latch to rovide a catch 25 above its pivot isprovided with an upwardly extending arm 27 terminating in, a hook 28with which is engaged one end portion of a retractile spring 29 theopposite end portion of which being anchored, as at 30, to the'top wall19 of the housing H. This spring 29 operates to constantly urge thelatch 25 toward the; rod 18 so that upon proper depression of'the rod 18the latch 25 will automatically engage the catch 24 and hold the rod 18depresse The pivoted portion of the latch 25 is also provided with adepending arm 31 positioned directly behind an opening 15 and which isadapted to be struck by a projectile entering the housing through suchopening 15 and if the impact against the arm 31 is of sufiicientforcethe latch 25 will be disengaged vfrom the catch 24 to permit the rod 18to be moved to its uppermost position.

.The upperand exterior end portion of each of the rods 18, as, hereindisclosed, is provided with a spherical head 32 the front and rear faceportions of which being provided with value indications. 33. When therod 18 is depressed, the head 32 is substantially concealed behind anupstanding plate 34 substantially defining the forward marginal portionof the top wall 19 of the housing H- and when said rod 18 is in itssecond or uppermost osition, said. head is positioned above-said plate34 whereby the valuation 33 carried thereby may be readily observed bythe player.

Disposed transversely across the top sura desired distance inwardly ofthe forward end thereof is a line 35. Secured to a side wall 16 of thehousing H by a bracket 36 or the like is the upper end portion of adownwardly and forprojectiles rolling down such aasaaaa wardly inclinedchute 37 leading to the return groove 2 hereinbefore referred to.

My improved game may be played by any number of persons and I find thatthe inter est in the game is materially increased by first employing aspinner or its equivalent to be consequently employed by the players sothat the player obtaining the .lowest number or valuation will bedesignated as the game keeper and whose duties will be to return thevarious projectiles after played'by the other persons, to otherwisesupervise the game.

The game also preferably employs ten projectiles preferably marbles orkindred spherical bodies and these marbles or the like are projected bya player toward the housing H with an endeavor to cause each of saidprojectiles to pass through an open ing 15 with sufficient speed tostrike an arm 31- with sufficient force to release a rod 18 so that hecan have the benefit on his score of the valuation 33 designated on thehead 32 carried by said rod. In the event a marble or projectile shouldfail to pass through an opening 15 and should rebound forwardly of theline 35, the player can again employ such projectile but if it shouldstop inwardly of the line 35 such projectile is out of play and will bepicked up by the game keeper. After the ten projectiles'8 have beenemployed by a player his score is equal to the aggregate valuations ofthe released rods 18 and, of course, the player obtaining the highestscore is declared the winner. As

each person finishes his play the game keeper returns the projectiles tothe forward end portion or pocket 10 of the apparatus by placing suchprojectiles in the chute 37 said chute and traversing the return groove2.

The cut out portion 11 at the rear end portion of the board permits aprojectile 8 to readily pass an arm 31 in the event the projectileshould strike said arm with a force insufficient to release the latch25. It is also preferable that the cut out portion 11 be of a depthsufiicient to permit the projectile to readily pass below the lower endof such 'arm.

It is also to be noted that all of the latches 25 are pivotallysupported upon a common rod 26 and said latches are maintained indesired spaced relation by the spacing sleeves 36.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a gameapparatus constructed 1n accordance with my invention is particularlywell adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility withwhich it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious thatmy invention is susce tible of some change and modification wit ioutdeparting from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reasonrods supported by the housing and extend-.

l do-no't wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim z-- 1. A game apparatus of the class described comprising aboard adapted to be traversed by a projectile, ahousing at one end ofthe board having a forward wall provided with openings, movableindicating members supported by'the housing, each of said members beingpositioned inwardly of an opening, means for normally urging each ofsaid members in one direction, and a latch mechanism for each of themembers for holding the same when moved in the opposite direction, saidlatch mechanism being adapted to be released by the impact of aprojectile entering the housing, said end portion of the board beingprovided with a pocket extending inwardly of the housing below each ofthe latch mechanisms.

2. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a board adapted tobe traversed by a projectile, a housing mounted upon one end'portion ofthe board and having a front wall provided with openings through each ofwhich a pro ectile is adapt-- ed' to enter the housing, verticallymovable ing. therein, said rods being provided with value indicatingmeans, each of said rods being provided with a catch, a latch for eachof the rods and engaging the eatchof the rod when the rod is in oneposition, means for moving'said rodto a second position when the latchis released, saidlatch being provided with an arm operating uponrequisite impact by a projectile to disengage the latch from its catch.

3. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a board adapted tobetraversed by a projectile, a housing mounted upon one end portion ofthe board and having a front wall provided with openings through each ofwhich a projectile is adapted to enter the housing, vertically movablerods supported by the housing andextend: ing therein, said rods beingprovided with value indicating means, each of said rods being providedwitha catch, a latch for each of the rods and engaging the catch of therod when the rod is in one position,

upon one end portion of the board and having a front wall provided withopenings through each of which a projectile is adapted to enter thehousing, vertically movable rods supported by the housing and extend ingtherein, said rods being provided with value indicating means, each ofsaid rods being provided with a catch, a latch for each of the rods andengaging the catch of the rod when the rod is in one position, means formoving said rod to a second position when the latch is released, saidlatch being-provided with an arm operating upon requisite impact by aprojectile to disengage the latch froin its catch, said rods extendingexteriorly of the housing, the value indicating means being carried bysaid extended portions, and means for substantiall v concealing saidvalue indicating means when the rods are held by the latches.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

LOUIS B. HALLIDAY.

